Students Falsely Accused Of Assault At Springfield School: Report

UPDATE: The girl who accused three boys of cutting her hair in a playground attack at Immanuel Christian School admitted the accusations were false. Read more: Accusations Of Assault At Springfield School Were False: Report

SPRINGFIELD, VA — An African-American girl accused classmates of attacking an African-American student and cutting her dreadlocks at the private Immanuel Christian School in Springfield.

According to WTOP, three white boys allegedly assaulted sixth-grader Amari Allen on the playground Monday, Sept. 23. The 12-year-old claims the sixth grade classmates held her down and cut her hair while calling it "nappy" and "ugly."

She did not initially tell her family or school about the attack. Once her aunt Lakeisha Allen noticed the girl's hair, Amari Allen spoke of how the boys had been bullying her for weeks, the Washington Post reported. The family reported the attack to the school and Fairfax County Police.

The school provided a statement to the Washington Post: "We take seriously the emotional and physical well-being of all our students, and have a zero-tolerance policy for any kind of bullying or abuse. We are deeply disturbed by the allegations being made, and are in communication with the family of the alleged victim to gather information and provide whatever support we can."

Fairfax County Police Chief Ed Roessler Jr. said in a statement the department is "actively investigating" but cannot disclose information involving juveniles.

Immanuel Christian School is a private school serving kindergarten through eleventh grade. It was recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School and employs Second Lady Karen Pence as a part-time art teacher.

According to the school's parent-student handbook, bullying is defined as "the deliberate use of power to dominate, intimidate and harm another person physically and/or emotionally over an extended period of time with no significant provocation or justification."

Students are expected to follow these rules:

• Never leave anyone out by deliberately excluding them from the group.
• Never harm others intentionally with words or actions.
• Never tolerate bullying by ignoring it or allowing it to continue.
• Always report bullying to the classroom teacher.

The Menace Of Bullies: Patch Advocacy Reporting Project

As part of a national reporting project, Patch has been looking at society's roles and responsibilities around bullying in hopes we might offer solutions that save lives.

Do you have a story to tell? Are you concerned about how your local schools handle bullies and their victims?

Email us at bullies@patch.com and share your views in the comments.

Selected Stories From The Project

• 'The Anti-Bully': Talk And, Especially, Listen To Your Kids
• Bullied To Death: When Kids Kill With Words
• Bullying Tougher To Confront When It's Bias-Based: Researchers
• 'The Hero Myth': Why Expecting Kids To Fight Bullies Is Harmful